Fall Bourbon (and Rye) Releases You Don't Want to Miss (2023)

More bourbon has fallen on my doorstep than leaves from the turning trees here in Kentucky. It’s a clear sign that the Great Fall Bourbon Release is well underway, and it’s high time I get my next whiskey release column to all you dedicated Alcohol Professor readers. Because the more I wait, the more extensive this list becomes. I like to keep it around the wordcount of “Green Eggs and Ham,” but this one is beginning to feel like “War and Peace.”

The toughest part of the assignment was keeping my list to 10, because all these bourbons and whiskeys are top-notch and worth so many more words than I have space for here. I have no doubt distilleries save their best for the fall, and perhaps that’s on purpose. How else are we going to make it through the long winter without a reservoir of tasty whiskey? I think I might be set for the next five winters.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch

108 Proof | $199.99

Details: This special bottle celebrates 135 years of the brand, and Four Roses didn’t hold anything back when it came to tapping into some of the best honey barrels they had hidden in their 20+ single-story rickhouses. The recipe includes 12 and 16-year-old bourbon from their OESV recipe, 14-year-old bourbon from the OESK recipe, and 25-year-old bourbon from the OBSV recipe.

Tasting Notes: This bottle causes quite a conundrum for me. I’ve fallen in love with its perfect balance of oak, cinnamon and caramel, but I know deep down I’ll never find this unicorn in the wild. Such is bourbon allotment. On the nose I get a nice array of oak and Grandpa’s attic funk from the ultra-aged bourbons in the batch, followed by the sweet nectar of honey and gingersnaps. On the palate are those rewarding notes of caramel apple and clove, with the oak and spice coming back on the finish.

Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye

108.9 Proof | $120

Details: This annual release is a genuine treat for those with a sweet tooth. The process involves taking fully mature rye whiskey and then finishing it in a second toasted barrel that had previously air dried for 24 months. The result tastes like a campfire s’more with a pinch of black pepper for a little heat.

Tasting Notes: On the nose you immediately get toffee, baked cherries and a welcome nuttiness, followed by dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow, caramel drizzle and rye spice on the palate. The finish is slightly oaky, but that quickly gives way to tingling brown sugar and a hint of butterscotch.

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Rye Whiskey

114.4 Proof | $269.99

Details: This brand new release is the first-ever cask strength rye Angel’s Envy has ever released, and it’s completely different from their core rye whiskey offering that is finished in Caribbean rum casks. So don’t be confused. This juice is a blend of rye whiskeys finished in used sauternes (sweet French wine) and toasted oak barrels, and it’s even better than the OG, in my opinion. With only 5,500 bottles being released on Dec. 1, this is a super limited product. But it’s worth the chase.

Tasting Notes: The flavor jumps with sweet fruit notes like pear and apple, followed by a sprinkle of that rye black pepper spice. A drizzle of caramel on top seals the deal for my taste buds, and the finish is long, spicy and rich. The term “pimp juice” keeps coming to mind, and I have no idea why, but it seems fitting here.

King of Kentucky

125.8 Proof | $299.99

Details: This annual release is so exclusive and limited, King of Kentucky doesn’t even have its own website! But IYKYK, as the kids say. Made by Brown-Forman, parent company of Old Forester, Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve, the King is a single-barrel bourbon that has been aged longer than any of the three brands I just mentioned. In Kentucky, B-F often uses heat-cycled barrel warehouses, so anything older than 10 is quite rare since the angels have taken more than their fair share. The 2023 King is the sixth edition and uses 16-year-old bourbon.

Tasting Notes: The aroma on this one smells like a sticky bowl of liquid caramel. Forget the apple; I want to dip my face in this stuff! There’s also notes of vanilla, honey and, of course, oak from the age. On first sip, it’s a smooth ride of dark chocolate, subtle banana, dark fruit and nutmeg, with that caramel drizzled all over it for good measure. And the finish takes you back to that oak with a rewarding pop of Milk Duds. Just when I think I found a new favorite, along comes the King to reclaim his throne.

Parker’s Heritage Collection 10-Year Rye Whiskey

128.8 Proof | $185

Details: Named in honor of the late distiller Parker Beam, the 17 th release of the renowned Parker’s Heritage Collection features 10-year-old cask strength rye whiskey. With a mash bill of 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley, the whiskey is packed with a spicy punch and a warming hug. Parker died in 2017 of ALS, and Heaven Hill donates proceeds from this release to ALS research and patient care. So far, they’ve raised more than $1.2 million.

Tasting Notes: I get a noseful of toffee on the aroma, followed by a nice waft of roasted pecan pralines. Seriously. It smells like I just walked into a New Orleans candy shop. On the palate, I’m whisked inside a 40-year-old rickhouse on Heaven Hill’s expansive campus where I’m treated to goodies like cinnamon candy, Werther’s Originals, a drizzle of maple syrup and a spritz of orange clove. This is one I enjoy savoring and exploring, as new flavors pop up every time I try it. The finish is long and sweet with a slight heat at the end.

Maker’s Mark Cellar Collection

Makers Mark Cellar Aged 2023 — Makers Mark Cellar Aged

115.7 Proof | $150

Details: The oldest Maker’s Mark to be released thus far, Cellar Aged is a blend of 12-year-old bourbon (87%) and 11-year-old bourbon (13%) that still fits inside the parameters of the Maker’s Mark taste vision. They took fully mature Maker’s Mark barrels (typically around 6 years old) that had aged in the standard rick houses in Loretto, Ky., and rehoused them inside the limestone whiskey cellar that was constructed onsite in 2016. Here in the mild temperatures, the barrels aged another 6 to 7 years.

Tasting Notes: Imagine Maker’s Mark with even more baked apple, rich caramel and vanilla notes, and then add in Grandpa’s attic oaky and leathery flavors you get from most vintage bourbons. It’s a bit reminiscent of Weller Antique — with those deep bursts of chocolate and fig, and it’s a pour I could sip on all night long no matter what season it is. We asked for an older Maker’s Mark, and we got it!

Little Book Chapter 7: “In Retrospect”

118.1 Proof | $149.99

Details: If you’re familiar with the Beam line of whiskeys, you know Little Book is the brainchild of Freddie Noe, eighth generation master distiller who serves alongside his father, Fred Noe, at the Clermont distillery. This brand is all about blending and innovation, and each new “chapter” is completely different than the last. Since this one is a “retrospective” in nature, it includes a blend of cask-strength American whiskeys from the six previous chapters, plus an additional one for good measure. The whiskeys here include both bourbon and rye, plus a malt whiskey finished in applewood smoked barrels, and the ages range from 4 to 18 years.

Tasting Notes: Right from the get-go, this one is a burst of floral goodness mixed with a touch of oak and citrus peel. On the palate, the whiskey is thin but packs the familiar caramel and milk chocolate notes plus a bit of spice, most likely from the two rye whiskeys that were added to this blend. The longer I sat with this in the glass, the more it opened up. The medium finish on this one leaves you with nice notes of cinnamon and honeysuckle.

Wild Turkey Generations

120.8 Proof | $450

Details: OK, we’re a little shocked by the price, too, but would you believe me if I said it is worth it? First of all, it’s a liquid piece of history and marks the first time distillers Jimmy, Eddie and Bruce Russell have collaborated on a whiskey. Secondly, it’s a blend of 9, 12,14 and 15-year bourbons bottled and barrel proof and non-chill filtered. Plus, it’s Wild Turkey! It’s gotta be good. The bottle is mostly a tribute to Jimmy, the longest-tenured, active master distiller in the global spirits industry today, so if you’re a Turkey fan, we bet you’re going to hunt down one of the 5,000 bottles in this release.

Tasting Notes: I’m not going to tell you how to spend your money, but holy cow, this bourbon is truly something special indeed. It certainly doesn’t come off as 120.8 proof— it drinks smoother than a tapioca pearl. On the nose, you get those oak notes from the aged bourbons, plus a little butterscotch pudding and that familiar Turkey funk. And on the palate, the spice kicks in but is quickly mellowed with baked apples, caramel and even a faint flavor of clove. The finish is long and sweet with a whisper of dark chocolate and citrus.

Mary Dowling Double Oak Barrel Bourbon

107 Proof | $130

Details: This new brand debuted this fall from the folks at Rabbit Hole Distilling, and it’s named in honor of the legendary Kentucky female distiller who successfully ran several distilleries before Prohibition and then moved her operations to Mexico during those 13 long years of a dry hell. This one is a wheated bourbon that is finished in toasted double oak barrels. And the other Mary Dowling expression is a rye bourbon that was finished in used tequila barrels to honor Dowling’s resiliency of continuing to make bourbon in another country.

Tasting Notes: Since it’s a wheated bourbon and also double oaked, I get the wonderful aroma of walking into a candy store on the nose. It’s sweet, it’s oaky and it’s making my mouth water! And the palate doesn’t disappoint. I get toffee and dark fruit right away, followed by rich oak notes, baking spices, a brown sugar/maple vibe and just a hint of tobacco. The finish is warm and lingering with more brown sugar and delightful notes of toasted marshmallow and graham cracker.

Copper & Kings Bourbon

111 Proof | $65

Details: If you’re not familiar, Copper & Kings is a brandy distillery based in Louisville, Ky. Since its doors opened in 2014, it has crafted award-winning brandy, gin and absinthe, but never a bourbon was found even though it was located in the heart of Bourbon Country. It took until this year when the powers-that-be decided it was finally time to jump into the bourbon game, but you better believe they’re still doing it their own way. Case in point: This blend of 5, 10 and 15-year sourced Kentucky bourbon was finished in American apple brandy barrels made at C&K for 12 months. At a nice 111 proof and non-chill filtered, the release is a steal at $65.

Tasting Notes: I love the color on this one. It’s dark and mysterious, just like the layers of flavors that jump out on the nose. I get a lot of fruitiness in the aroma, but that just might be the power of suggestion since I know it was finished in brandy barrels. There’s also a slight earthiness on the nose, which intrigues me. On the palate, I get a hefty dose of spice — cinnamon and nutmeg — plus the familiar caramel, oak and vanilla. There’s even more fruit here, citrus this time. The finish is quite nice as well — long and sweet — I’m reminded of the apple butter that is served with those ridiculously tasty Texas Roadhouse rolls.